Ruxton Creative Responses
Untitled by Emily, Aberdeen
Knife - in fear of her life - lifted the knife & slashed, he administered to her - no injury - history of violence- not unexpected - duress - prescribed limits - contraversion - ceased - awarded II penalty points, but if i am wrong?
Necessity by Victoria von Rinetelen
Necessity?
No evidence
Crying
Frightened
Slashed…
No evidence
fear
Injury
Great bodily harm…
No evidence
Immediate danger
History of violence
No telephone,
No evidence
Hardship
Inconvenience
excessive...
Seemed appropriate
Not Really Necessary by Lauryn Sangster
Threatened with a knife,
Witnessed a punch,
Teeth knocked out,
Slashed leather jacket,
Not really necessary.
History of violence,
Followed out of the house,
Immediate danger
In her mind throughout,
Not really necessary.
Fearing for her life,
Under duress of
Circumstance,
Crying and frightened,
Not really necessary.
'No evidence, no finding' by Emma Segelke
Immediate danger of death
She conceded
What about the alternatives?
No evidence, no finding
Yet guilty of driving offence
While abuse and violence
Remain unpunished
No evidence, no finding
Circumstances of duress
Acknowledged but
Reasonable emotional distress?
No evidence, no finding
Is there really justice
When two miles matter more
Than one fatal argument?
No evidence, no finding
Untitled by Sarah Kroll
Appellant, Accused
Four-year-old son, hardship,
Entitled to be acquitted.
History of violence, slashed with knife:
Not in any immediate danger,
Should not have been unexpected.
Circumstances of necessity:
Endeavour to escape,
Only means,
Duress -
Fear for her life.
Evidential onus:
No injuries,
Alternative courses of action -
An argument with her boyfriend.
Until Next Time… by Rachel Scott
Just hours ago, I sat in his palm,
Fearing my presence, she ran.
Defenceless, unarmed, of course she fled.
I endowed him with strength, purpose, power,
Meanwhile, she was weak,
Already no match for him, she could never overpower me.
For now, I am tucked away,
But I wait patiently,
At his service,
Ready to obey when he commands.
Until then I will serve as a reminder.
Every time she opens the drawer,
Every time she closes her eyes,
Every time she sees him walk into a room.
To some, just a simple object; to her, a symbol of fear.
Just as she fears me, she fears him too,
As she should.
For now, my steel blade lays cool and sharp.
Until next time…
Writers Comments:
This poem is written from the perspective of the knife that was used as a weapon by Mr Scott in the case of Ruxton v Lang. The symbolism of this object serves to portray that domestic violence is not a one-off incident, but rather a continual threat that extends beyond a specific violent attack itself. Indeed, the knife remains in the home, along with Mr Scott, that the police returned Lang to just hours after the attack – a constant reminder of the threat that Lang faces and the possibility that Mr Scott will become violent again. Ultimately, I wanted to covey that, given Lang’s weakness compared to Mr Scott (and the knife that he brandished), she was truly in a state of necessity in fleeing the home.
A cake showing Different Perspectives Glasses Lenses by Liam McCafferty
Image of Ruxton v Lang diagram
